Surprisingly, the UTEP football team ended up with a margin for error against favored NMSU as the Miners looked to break the nation's longest losing streak.

Not surprisingly, they managed to exceed it in a 27-20 loss that puts the streak at 16 games.

The Aggies opened the evening by scoring on a blocked punt return, closed the first half by scoring on a fumble return, and when it seemed matters had turned in the Miners' direction in the third quarter, the NMSU offense managed to turn what looked like a third-down, go-punt loss into a 53-yard touchdown.

UTEP fumbled on back-to-back snaps turning what looked like a certain halftime lead instead into a 17-10 deficit. The Miners committed just enough drive-killing penalties to, well, kill potential go-ahead drives. They mixed in a 19-play field goal drive that ate up 9:21 and didn't get the Miners within a score.

Then, after controlling both sides of the ball for three and a half quarters, UTEP got pushed around at winning time as New Mexico State showed a sense of the moment that the Miners completely lacked.

NMSU defensive back Austin Perkins, 19, comes down with an interception with less than a minute left in the game to end UTEP’s efforts to even the score Saturday night in the Sun Bowl Stadium. The Aggies prevailed in the I-10 Rivalry 27-20. Rudy Gutierrez

Marisol Lucero, bottom, sister Linda Martinez, right, and other family members hold placards in support of their brother, UTEP tight end David Lucero, No. 18, on Sept. 22 in Sun Bowl Stadium. Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times

NMSU defensive back Austin Perkins intercepts a throw intended for wide receiver Terry Juniel, 2, to end UTEP’s efforts to even the score with less than a minute left in the game Saturday. The Aggies beat the Miners in the I-10 Rivalry 27-20. Rudy Gutierrez

NMSU defensive back Austin Perkins, 19, comes up with an interception with less than a minute remaining in the game, dashing UTEP’s hopes of evening the score. The Aggies won the I-10 Rivaly 27-20. Rudy Gutierrez

"This one hurts a little more, the I-10 rivalry," said Terry Juniel, who had a 76-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter that tied the score at 17-17. "You never want to lose like this. This one hurts the most."

"Way too many mistakes," coach Dana Dimel said. "With the blocked punt to start the game, the percentage of winning when you get a punt blocked is 18 percent.

"The turnover in the second quarter, the turnover late in the second quarter they took to the house, we gave them 14 points. You take those off the board ... obviously those were costly mistakes for us."

"This definitely hurt," said Kai Locksley, who rushed for a touchdown, threw for a touchdown on 10-of-16 passing and had that fumble that was returned for a wrong-way touchdown. "You look at the numbers, you look at the game film, we beat them, we were better, but we shot ourselves in the foot. The turnover, that's on me."

Here's what Locksley meant: UTEP won time of possession 40:48-19:12; they won first downs 24-15; they ran 80 plays to the Aggies' 52; the Miners outgained the Aggies 429-311. Quardraiz Wadley had 111 yards on 20 carries.

They lost because this 7-point game had four enormous plays and NMSU won three of those.

For UTEP there was the pass to Juniel. For New Mexico State there was the blocked punt for a touchdown, Malik Demby's 55-yard fumble return and Royce Caldwell's 53-yard catch and run when he looked dead 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage on third-and-2.

On that play that broke the 17-17 tie, he broke an open-field tackle attempt from Justin Rogers and there was no one else to beat. Earlier in that drive, NMSU picked up a first down on a facemask that negated a sack that would have created third-and-15.

NMSU kicker Dylan Brown, 18, kicks a field goal late in the first half to bring the halftime score to 17-10 in NMSU's favor Saturday in the Sun Bowl.(Photo11: Rudy Gutierrez)

"We make a tackle, they're punting," Dimel said. "Obviously that was a huge play in the game."

"We played well outside of a couple of plays," said linebacker AJ Hotchkins, who led the team with eight tackles. "We need to play better down the stretch."

Indeed, even after those four plays UTEP trailed 24-17 and went on a 19-play drive, converting two third downs and a fourth down. But they didn't have a play longer than 10 yards. NMSU's defense finally strung three good plays together and a drive that ate up 9:21 only cut the deficit to 24-20.

Then New Mexico State went on a 13-play answer to push the lead back to 27-20, and with 3:24 left, UTEP had a chance to play hero. Instead, the final drive used eight plays to go 2 yards, then Locksley threw a fourth-and-forever interception.

"We've just got to get started. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Wadley said. "The punt block, the scoop and score fumble, we have to prevent that."

There was a time when UTEP could count on making those plays against the Aggies. Instead, UTEP looked like the team that couldn't figure out how to win, while the Aggies looked like a team that believed they would find a way.